Re: Answering a recurring challenge from clients

In my experience, clients always want more than the original scope, always want something very personal to their set up and always want to extend it later - especially when they see first hand what is possible. I agree that Wordpress is the right tool for some cases (especially where there is no budget), but in most it is better to bite the bullet, design something (on Cake if appropriate) that meets the customer's needs and build a longer term relationship. Good for them, good for their clients, good for you. This way, you can take the product where he customer wants to go without the limitations of an off the shelf package, the challenges of bending it into shape and the hassle of ensuring a smooth upgrade path. But it's always horses for course - there is no one size fits all silver bullet. If a client insists on using a particular product it isn't really your place to fight it. If you feel you can't/shouldn't/won't build the solution using the product they feel married to, be graceful and either do it anyway (as a professional), hire someone else in to do it for you (and retain the customer) or walk away (and maybe recommend someone for the job).

Jeremy Burns
jeremyburns@me.com
On 23 Feb 2010, at 08:43, WebbedIT wrote:

> @Zaky: I think you missed a very important point before having a dig
> at various developers in the CakePHP community.
>
> The question was about a client asking for Drupal, so we're not
> talking about a Mail Server are we? I am 150% certain that everyone
> in the community would use an established Mail Server rather than
> developing their own, if that was the remit of the job.
>
> However, there is a grey area when a client asks for a Blog. If that's
> really all they want then yes, Wordpress will do the job brilliantly,
> but I find it's often the case that they want a few extra modules
> (Events, Advanced User Management, Basic Email Lists etc.). In this
> case the client's requirements are clearly better served by a CMS
> rather than a Wordpress blog integrated into other systems. So to say
> that anyone asking for a Blog should get Wordpress is not the most
> clear cut argument either.
>
> Also I find it amazing that you think an architect should get involved
> as an impartial third party on all jobs. What sort of clients are you
> dealing with on a day to day basis? Most of my clients are Charities
> or SMEs and they find it difficult to afford a decent developer
> without the extra cost of employing an architect.
>
> Your 2nd last comment takes us full circle, back to the original
> question, which others have tried to answer before you:
> "I also saw Joomla developer that recommend Joomla where not
> suitable."
>
> If the original poster believes a bespoke CMS built on the CakePHP
> framework would be a better fit for his client than the monstrous
> Drupal (which someone else may be wrongly recommending), how does he
> go about putting this to the client in a well structured and
> understandable manner?
>
> I think LunarDraco did a great jb of answering this, and it appears to
> me that you simply dismissed his reply as putting his own needs before
> the clients.
>
> Paul.
>
> Check out the new CakePHP Questions site http://cakeqs.org and help others with their CakePHP related questions.
>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CakePHP" group.
> To post to this group, send email to cake-php@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> cake-php+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cake-php?hl=en

Check out the new CakePHP Questions site http://cakeqs.org and help others with their CakePHP related questions.

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CakePHP" group.
To post to this group, send email to cake-php@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
cake-php+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cake-php?hl=en